


Communal Living

by widowsgf (elaaden)



Series: Non-Canon Ryder Family [2]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:55:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25607713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elaaden/pseuds/widowsgf
Summary: cael'valin boards the tempest. post-meridian.
Relationships: Jaal Ama Darav/Original Character(s)
Series: Non-Canon Ryder Family [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1850689
Kudos: 2





	Communal Living

**Author's Note:**

> i really wanted to write a fic where jaal and cael'valin meet for the first time on the tempest post-meridian, so... ta-da?

The Tempest was a beautiful ship. The first time Cael ever step foot on the Tempest was a few weeks after he was beginning to make a recovery from his coma, and even then it was only for a few moments. Now that he was on the ship, even if it was in orbit of the Nexus, was an experience. It kind of felt like the ship he owned back in the Milky Way - _Gozh_ , he ended up calling her. He learned the word from a quarian he ran into when he was on the Citadel, and they told him it meant 'go,' - considering his sense of humor, he thought it was fitting to name his ship that.

"Glad to see you looking well." Cael heard a familiar voice behind him. When Cael turned around, he saw the asari doctor, Lexi T'Perro.

"Hey - Lexi, right?" Lexi nodded. "Cerys told me about you."

"Oh?" Lexi looked intrigued, now. "And what has Cerys told you about me?"

"Uh..." Cael paled. "Just that... you're a doctor. On this ship." He cleared his throat nervously. The stories were right - Lexi had quite the glare.

"Hm."

"Annnnnd... that you saved my dad when he got injured on Habitat 7, so thank you! For that..."

"Helping injured people is part of my job, Cael." Lexi said, then pat him on the shoulder before taking off down the catwalk towards the bridge.

Cael let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He heard chuckling to the right of him, and when he turned to find the source of the sound, he found Jaal Ama Darav. Jaal and Cael had met - and had a long conversation - on Meridian, but he hadn't encountered Jaal since then.

"What are you chuckling at?" Cael asked him, now approaching where Jaal was standing.

Jaal moved away from the doorway he was leaning against. "You." Jaal answered. "Just be glad she didn't stick you with something pointy. Lexi has a tendency to do that."

"I got that impression." Cael said, then looked around Jaal at the room behind him. "This where you work on the ship?"

"Work and live." Jaal answered. "I find the living arrangements of the crew quarters to be uncomfortable."

"Tell me about it." Cael said. "The beds are pretty cramped."

"If you'd like, you can stay in here while you're on the Tempest."

Behind his visor, Cael raised a brow at Jaal. Was he making a pass at Cael?

"Uh..." Cael cleared his throat. He had no idea how to respond.

It took Jaal a moment to realize why there was a newfound awkwardness in the air, and he flushed - or, the angaran version of it - in embarrassment. "Oh! I meant you may bring your own, er, air mattress, or whatever quarians sleep on to feel comfortable, and stay in the tech lab with me." Jaal grunted awkwardly. "Separately, of course. I don't mind sharing a living space."

"Oh, uh... thanks, for the offer." Cael smiled behind his visor. One of the rare moments he was thankful that someone couldn't make out his facial expressions.

"Angara live communally." Jaal explained. "We find comfort in living closest to our friends, family..." Jaal trailed off. "Are quarians communal?"

"You're asking the wrong quarian, Jaal." Cael said. "I grew up with my own, private space back on Earth. But... most quarians used to live on starships, the uh, Migrant Fleet, it was called. Pretty close quarters."

"Interesting." Jaal said. "If you want to take me up on my offer, you are free to. I wouldn't mind the extra company." Jaal smiled. "I like to bounce ideas off others, as well."

Behind his visor, Cael started to blush. He felt his cheeks growing warmer and was _extremely_ grateful for his helmet. "I'll think about it. _Closely_."

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me on tumblr @ surkesh


End file.
